Heavy Rain, Snow to Blast Korean Peninsula and China

The dry stretch of weather across the Korean Peninsula and northeastern China will come to an abrupt end late this weekend as a strengthening storm brings heavy rain and snow to the region.

A disturbance will race across central China through the first half of the weekend and gain strength as it nears the Yellow Sea.

Moisture drawn northward from the Pacific Ocean and East China Sea will interact with the storm, creating a swath of heavy precipitation from the Korean Peninsula into Liaoning and Jilin provinces of China Sunday into Monday, local time.

North of the storm track, heavy snow is expected as the moisture clashes with cold, Siberian air. Over 30 cm (12 inches) of snow can fall in the mountains of North Korea and far northeastern China.

To the south, milder air should promote mainly rain for South Korea as well as the southern tip of Liaoning province, including the city of Dalian.

Although the storm is expected to race northeast, rain amounts between 25 and 50 mm (1-2 inches) will be common. While widespread flooding is not expected, localized rainfall amounts over 75 mm (3 inches) can lead to some flooding concerns.

In the wake of the storm, winds will become strong, gusting to 80 kph (50 mph) along the western coast of the Korean Peninsula with 50- to 65-kph (30- to 40-mph) gusts farther inland across the peninsula.

A large area of cold air is expected to dive into the region by the middle of next week. Temperatures will be near 0C in many places including as far south as Seoul, South Korea.

Farther west, Beijing will escape the heavy rain and snow, but the chilly conditions should build into the area by Wednesday.